JHS 302K: Leadership & Society SS Exit Project Librarian: Jennifer L. Coady, JCoady@schools.nyc.gov Grade Levels: 6-8
Purchases made with Library REACH Funds: Automation Package
Content area addressed: Social Studies
Worked with which teachers: 8th grade Social Studies Teacher
Title of Project(s) implemented: Inquiry EXIT Project: Leadership and Society
Description of LessonTitle: Step Seven, Find/Analyze/Evaluate Sources
- Resources Used: 302library.wikispaces.com, Inquiry EXIT Project Packet, Destiny (JHS 302) Site, Youtube video clip, VLC media player, laptop, LCD projector, Smartboard w/ speakers - Grade Levels: Grade 8 (6 Classes: 4 Gen. Ed., 1 ICT, 1 SN) - Lesson Goal: Location, Analysis and Evaluation of Resources - How do you know the goal was achieved? Students successfully located and utilized a variety of sources in order to complete their Inquiry EXIT Projects. The final projects consisted of a written, a visual and an oral component; all three of which demonstrated support for their thesis statement, which was obtained throughout the research process.
Tips on implementing at another school:
Classes were scheduled every other week in order to complete the project. This was not ideal since the spring testing schedule and school vacations conflicted with scheduled visits and made continuity of lessons a challenge. It would be beneficial to meet once a week for half the year, so that missed visits wouldn’t be such an issue. I’m currently exploring the idea of meeting with even numbered classes in the fall and winter (quarters 1 & 2) and odd numbered in the winter and spring (quarters 3 & 4), so that the entire LMC schedule wouldn’t be compromised by one grade/one subject. The concept of Boolean searching and OPAC searches needs to be introduced to students at lower grade levels, unfortunately the feeder elementary school that most of our students attend does not have a functioning library media center. Now that I am aware of that, I am going to expand my sixth grade orientations to include an introduction to a wider array of library procedures/offerings, since we now have an OPAC that the students and staff can access. In retrospect, I would have preferred to attend Destiny training sooner, so that I could have conducted an inventory and been using the system fully prior to the end of the school year. It really wasn’t possible due to the timing of my catalog being added and the state exam schedules. You can download youtube videos and play them instead of attempting to stream youtube, since it’s blocked. On a Mac, however, you need to install “VLC”, which is free, because Windows Media Player does not work with the Mac OS. There is also a VLC app for the ipad, instead of trying to run flash videos, which don’t function on the ipad at all. Or, videos can be saved in itunes and played on the ipad that way.
Lessons learned:
A full inventory of the collection needs to be completed before September; there are many missing books and many books that are not in the system due to technology issues with MARC records from prior years. Also, since circulation isn’t being done through Destiny yet, search results show all copies of all books in the OPAC as being available, which is inaccurate. This needs to be rectified prior to the start of the next school year. All classes (and staff) need to participate in Boolean search lessons during September and October so that they can search more efficiently (both in Destiny as well as on the internet in general) since they conduct searches during independent “open library” visits as well as during scheduled class visits. The order of the lessons within the Inquiry EXIT project unit needs to be adjusted: locating resources should be its own lesson, and should be closer to the beginning of the project, while analyzing and evaluating can be completed at a later date. Even though future classes will have been exposed to the concept previously, they will most likely need a “refresher course” in Boolean search techniques.
Plans for usage of material next year:
Once inventory is completed, our LMC’s collection will be fully automated. Destiny will be used by students and staff to search for LMC materials suited to their needs both in the building as well as remotely from home. Circulation will be fully automated, and data reports will be used to study reading habits in order to inform purchasing decisions. Regular weeding can be performed more easily, since biographical information and circulation statistics will be accessible online. This will result in a more current collection in our LMC. All classes will be taught this lesson, either during orientation or in the context of a research project, since knowledge of the proper use of the OPAC will help students succeed in both HS and college, since all OPACs are fairly similar.
Lesson Plan: Leadership & Society SS Exit Project
Instructor(s): J. Coady (LMS), G. Goode (SS Teacher)
Date: April 2012 (Days and Periods Vary Accdg. To Class Schedule)
Lesson: Step Seven, Find/Analyze/Evaluate Sources
Unit: Inquiry EXIT Project: Leadership and Society
Lesson Preparation: Goals for Today’s Lesson
Essential Question(s): How Does Leadership Affect Society? Learning Objective: Students will be able to effectively search for research materials within the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) using Destiny Quest’s “Advanced Search” and integrating Boolean search techniques.
Materials/Resources: Video Clip (save to hard drive, youtube is blocked), Computer w/ Internet Access for Each Student, Inquiry EXIT Project Packet, LCD Projector, Laptop for Teacher,
Instructional Strategies (Differentiation of Teaching and/or activities): Topics/Leaders were student-selected at the beginning of the project. Options for final products (written, visual and oral) are provided in menu form, and will be student-selected. Options include products that “tap into” a variety of learning styles/multiple intelligences.
Students will know: (Content/Concepts) -What Destiny Quest is, and how to access through our school library website -What an advanced search entails (Boolean search terms: and, not, or) -How to note bibliographic information, including the call number for location of materials
Students will do: (Skills) -View a video clip about Boolean searching -Access the OPAC -Conduct Boolean search related to their specific research in order to locate research materials -Locate materials within the library by reading and following the signage
Mini-Lesson: Building Background/Activating Prior Knowledge (20% of the Lesson)
Students review their materials in their Inquiry EXIT project packets and update their checklist with notes and dates on page 3
Mini Lesson: Steps for Building Background
Shared viewing and discussion of video clip. What could the student have done differently in order to obtain better search results? How does this relate to our work? Introduce the OPAC (Destiny was just installed). Project Destiny Quest page, showing students how to access it from our library website. Allow students to go to their own computers so that they can follow along with advanced search as it is projected on the Smartboard. Using the example from the video, discuss how to streamline the search that the student botched- how should we proceed to fix his mistakes? Ask: How can you apply this to your research? Where can you begin to find search terms? (in notes from previous lessons!)
Students Practice & Apply New Knowledge (60% of the Lesson)
Group Work and/or Independent Work:
Students work on their own research, working with others when applicable. LMS and SS teacher circulate to provide assistance when needed, either with searches or with locating books on the shelves. LMS checks out books the last five minutes of the class session.
Assess & Reflect on Student Learning (20% of the Lesson)
Share Out: Assessment of New Learning
Discuss successes and failures. Discuss future plans for locating materials- are there other libraries nearby that can be accessed? Show students the homepage of our school LMC, which has local BPL branch locations and hours listed. They can apply search techniques they learned today at BPL, even though the site varies in appearance since all library OPAC’s are basically the same.
Oral/Written Reflection New Learning
Explorer Log: Are my sources adequate and reputable? Completed as HW and handed in to the SS teacher
Librarian: Jennifer L. Coady, JCoady@schools.nyc.gov
Grade Levels: 6-8
- Description of Lesson Title: Step Seven, Find/Analyze/Evaluate Sources
- Resources Used: 302library.wikispaces.com, Inquiry EXIT Project Packet, Destiny (JHS 302) Site, Youtube video clip, VLC media player, laptop, LCD projector, Smartboard w/ speakers- Grade Levels: Grade 8 (6 Classes: 4 Gen. Ed., 1 ICT, 1 SN)
- Lesson Goal: Location, Analysis and Evaluation of Resources
- How do you know the goal was achieved? Students successfully located and utilized a variety of sources in order to complete their Inquiry EXIT Projects. The final projects consisted of a written, a visual and an oral component; all three of which demonstrated support for their thesis statement, which was obtained throughout the research process.
- Tips on implementing at another school:
Classes were scheduled every other week in order to complete the project. This was not ideal since the spring testing schedule and school vacations conflicted with scheduled visits and made continuity of lessons a challenge. It would be beneficial to meet once a week for half the year, so that missed visits wouldn’t be such an issue. I’m currently exploring the idea of meeting with even numbered classes in the fall and winter (quarters 1 & 2) and odd numbered in the winter and spring (quarters 3 & 4), so that the entire LMC schedule wouldn’t be compromised by one grade/one subject.The concept of Boolean searching and OPAC searches needs to be introduced to students at lower grade levels, unfortunately the feeder elementary school that most of our students attend does not have a functioning library media center. Now that I am aware of that, I am going to expand my sixth grade orientations to include an introduction to a wider array of library procedures/offerings, since we now have an OPAC that the students and staff can access.
In retrospect, I would have preferred to attend Destiny training sooner, so that I could have conducted an inventory and been using the system fully prior to the end of the school year. It really wasn’t possible due to the timing of my catalog being added and the state exam schedules.
You can download youtube videos and play them instead of attempting to stream youtube, since it’s blocked. On a Mac, however, you need to install “VLC”, which is free, because Windows Media Player does not work with the Mac OS. There is also a VLC app for the ipad, instead of trying to run flash videos, which don’t function on the ipad at all. Or, videos can be saved in itunes and played on the ipad that way.
- Lessons learned:
A full inventory of the collection needs to be completed before September; there are many missing books and many books that are not in the system due to technology issues with MARC records from prior years. Also, since circulation isn’t being done through Destiny yet, search results show all copies of all books in the OPAC as being available, which is inaccurate. This needs to be rectified prior to the start of the next school year.All classes (and staff) need to participate in Boolean search lessons during September and October so that they can search more efficiently (both in Destiny as well as on the internet in general) since they conduct searches during independent “open library” visits as well as during scheduled class visits.
The order of the lessons within the Inquiry EXIT project unit needs to be adjusted: locating resources should be its own lesson, and should be closer to the beginning of the project, while analyzing and evaluating can be completed at a later date. Even though future classes will have been exposed to the concept previously, they will most likely need a “refresher course” in Boolean search techniques.
- Plans for usage of material next year:
Once inventory is completed, our LMC’s collection will be fully automated. Destiny will be used by students and staff to search for LMC materials suited to their needs both in the building as well as remotely from home.Circulation will be fully automated, and data reports will be used to study reading habits in order to inform purchasing decisions.
Regular weeding can be performed more easily, since biographical information and circulation statistics will be accessible online. This will result in a more current collection in our LMC.
All classes will be taught this lesson, either during orientation or in the context of a research project, since knowledge of the proper use of the OPAC will help students succeed in both HS and college, since all OPACs are fairly similar.
Lesson Plan: Leadership & Society SS Exit Project
Learning Objective: Students will be able to effectively search for research materials within the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) using Destiny Quest’s “Advanced Search” and integrating Boolean search techniques.
-What Destiny Quest is, and how to access through our school library website
-What an advanced search entails (Boolean search terms: and, not, or)
-How to note bibliographic information, including the call number for location of materials
-View a video clip about Boolean searching
-Access the OPAC
-Conduct Boolean search related to their specific research in order to locate research materials
-Locate materials within the library by reading and following the signage
(20% of the Lesson)
Steps for Building Background
Introduce the OPAC (Destiny was just installed). Project Destiny Quest page, showing students how to access it from our library website. Allow students to go to their own computers so that they can follow along with advanced search as it is projected on the Smartboard. Using the example from the video, discuss how to streamline the search that the student botched- how should we proceed to fix his mistakes?
Ask: How can you apply this to your research? Where can you begin to find search terms? (in notes from previous lessons!)
(60% of the Lesson)
LMS checks out books the last five minutes of the class session.
(20% of the Lesson)
Assessment of New Learning
New Learning
Completed as HW and handed in to the SS teacher